Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe (2024)

HomeRecipe ListBreakfast and BrunchLemon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe

Posted by Aimee 105 comments
Published: May 31, 2022 Last Updated: Feb 29, 2024

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Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake brings magic to the breakfast table with every bite. This sweet lemon cake has it all: lemon cheesecake filling, crumbly streusel topping and a lemon glaze. It doesn’t get more lemony than this!

A little zesty lemon is just what you need to start your day. Skip the line and give me a Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf at home–or give these classic Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins a try.

Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe (1)

Why this Recipe is Best

Whether you eat it for breakfast, dessert or your afternoon coffee break, this Lemon Crumb Cake hits it out of the ballpark!

  • The lemon breakfast cake layer is thick without being heavy.
  • Lemon cheesecake is baked right on top of the coffee cake layer.
  • You’ll love the combination of tangy lemon with buttery brown sugar streusel.
  • Lemon glaze makes this Lemon Crumb Cake sweet enough to serve for dessert.

With simple ingredients, and easy assembly, this impressive breakfast cake is perfect for guests too!

Love lemon? Be sure to give our lemon brownies recipe a try asap!

Ingredient Notes

Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe (2)
  • Lemon zest and juice. Remove the zest from the lemon before juicing to get the most out of your citrus. Use our guide on how to zest a lemon for best practices.
  • Cream cheese. Use plain full fat cream cheese for richest, creamiest taste. Don’t forget to let it soften on the counter for a few minutes first.
  • Light brown sugar. With less molasses than its dark brown counter parts, light brown sugar complements the bright lemon flavor instead of dominating it.
  • Milk. You can use any milk you have on hand in both the cake and the glaze–skim, whole and fat free all work well.

Easy Instructions

Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe (3)

First, make the cake.

Mix together the ingredients in a stand mixer. Beat until fluffy. Pour into a greased spring form cake pan.

Now, make the cheesecake filling.

Beat together sugar, cream cheese, egg and lemon zest. Pour over the cake layer.

Add the streusel topping.

Combine the streusel ingredients in a separate bowl. Sprinkle over the cheesecake layer of the cake.

Bake and chill.

Bake the Lemon Crumb Cake for 40 minutes. Let it cool, then release it from the spring form pan.

Transfer the cake to the refrigerator to chill for about 3 hours.

Pour on lemon glaze.

Whisk together the ingredients for the icing. Drizzle over the chilled lemon crumb cake before serving.

Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe (4)

Tips and Tricks

  • The cheesecake layer should still look slightly soft when this comes out of the oven. It will firm up as it chills in the fridge.
  • Grease and flour your pan well before adding the cake batter. Or use my Homemade Cake Release for amazing results!
  • Be careful not to let the cheesecake layer touch the sides of the spring form pan when pouring it over the cake. Pour slowly and use an off set spatula to direct the flow of the cream cheese mixture to prevent it from touching.
  • Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator. Enjoy Lemon Crumb Cake within 3 days for best taste!
  • Use a classic vanilla icing instead of lemon flavored if you prefer.
Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe (5)

Recipe FAQs

Help! I have too much streusel! What did I do wrong?

You didn’t do anything wrong. This recipe makes a LOT of streusel topping because, well, I can’t get enough!
Feel free to cut the streusel ingredients in half for a more reserved approach to the crumb topping.

Can I use lime instead of lemon?

I love the idea of making a lime crumb cake with this recipe! You should be able to sub lime for the lemon ingredients 1:1.

What can I use if I don’t have a spring form pan?

You can make this in a square 8 or 9 inch baking dish. I recommend only adding half the streusel if making it in a square dish.

Can I freeze Lemon Crumb Cake?

Yes, this crumb cake holds up beautifully in the freezer. Even after thawing, the streusel crumb has a perfect texture.
You can freeze the cake in individual slices or wrap the whole cake in freezer bags to store. Thaw in the fridge before eating.

MoreBreakfast Recipes

  • Apple Cinnamon Bread
  • Chocolate Donuts
  • Cinnamon Roll Cake
  • Crumb Cake
  • Jam Doughnuts
  • Apple Crumble

Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake

4.65 from 71 votes

By: Aimee

Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake brings magic to the breakfast table with every bite. This sweet lemon cake has it all: lemon cheesecake filling, crumbly streusel topping and a lemon glaze. It doesn't get more lemony than this!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 Tablespoon unsalted butter softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup milk

For the filling:

  • 1 package cream cheese, softened 8 ounce
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 lemon zested

For the streusel:

  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

For the glaze:

  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon milk

Instructions

  • For the cake, grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low until combined. Beat in softened butter until crumbly. Add in eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice and milk. Beat for about 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Pour into prepared pan.

  • For the filling, beat cream cheese with sugar, egg and lemon zest for about 4-5 minutes. Pour over cake layer, being careful to not let it touch the sides of the pan.

  • In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients with a fork. Sprinkle over top of cake. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes. Cool completely in pan. When cooled, release from springformpan.

  • Refrigerate cake for 3 hours to allow cheesecake filling to set up.

  • Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • The cheesecake layer should still look slightly soft when this comes out of the oven. It will firm up as it chills in the fridge.
  • Grease and flour your pan well before adding the cake batter. Or use my Homemade Cake Release for amazing results!
  • Be careful not to let the cheesecake layer touch the sides of the spring form pan when pouring it over the cake. Pour slowly and use an off set spatula to direct the flow of the cream cheese mixture to prevent it from touching.
  • Can also be made in a 9-inch square baking dish.
  • Prefer less streusel? Just cut it in half!
  • Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator. Enjoy Lemon Crumb Cake within 3 days for best taste!
  • Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice, Calories: 577kcal, Carbohydrates: 84g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 127mg, Sodium: 195mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 50g

    Course: Breakfast and Brunch

    Cuisine: American

    Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

    A tangy cheesecake filling takes Lemon Crumb Cake to incredible heights! Put on a pot of coffee and cut yourself a slice. Morning just got better.

    Lemon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the difference between crumb cake and coffee cake? ›

    The main difference between the two cakes is the amount of streusel topping. Crumb cake has a thicker layer of streusel topping than coffee cake. Coffee cake can also be made without the streusel topping. You might also see that there's a New York-style crumb cake as well, which has much bigger crumbs.

    Can I use both butter and oil in cake? ›

    Oh yes, you sure can. This recipe has a combination of butter and oil to give off that nice buttery taste while keeping it soft and moist at the same time. Cake using pure butter tends to be more dense and dry compared to adding oil into the batter.

    Why is my lemon cake so dense? ›

    Generally too many egg yolks or not enough oil or butter in the recipe. Also use cake flour instead of all purpose.

    What makes a cake a coffee cake? ›

    Coffee cake, or kaffekuchen, is a single layer cake with a sweet, cinnamon-infused flavor and streusel top made from flour, butter, and sugar. Streusel can also be layered inside of the cake like a filling. Fruit variations are prevalent, with blueberry being the most common.

    Does coffee crumb cake have coffee in it? ›

    Crumb cake has a thicker layer of chunky streusel crumbs on top of a buttery vanilla cake. Coffee cake has less streusel on top but more cake. Does coffee crumb cake have coffee? Most modern coffee crumb cake recipes don't have coffee in them, although original early versions of the dessert did.

    What substance makes the cake soft and fluffy? ›

    Baking soda is used in small amount in making bread and cake. It helps to make these soft and spongy. An aqueous solution of baking soda turns red litmus blue. It is also used in soda acid fire extinguisher.

    What makes a cake dense and not fluffy? ›

    Your cake is too dense A cake that is overly dense typically has too much liquid, too much sugar or too little leavening (not excess flour, as is commonly thought).

    What substance makes cake Fluffy? ›

    It is important to note that baking soda is responsible for making cakes and pastries to be light and fluffy. The chemical name and formula of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and \[NaHC{{O}_{3}}\]. Baking soda reacts with tartaric acid and generates sodium tartrate, water and carbon dioxide.

    What is the best oil for baking a cake? ›

    Canola oil is, without doubt, one of the best types of oil for baking. It's preferred in many recipes since it has the most neutral flavor compared to other types of oil. It also tends to be lighter in flavour, so it will not negatively affect the baked product's flavor and texture.

    Which makes a cake more moist oil or butter? ›

    Why does oil give cake superior texture? Butter is 18% water, so when the batter is baked, some of its liquid evaporates. Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness.

    What happens if I use butter instead of oil in cake? ›

    Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter will bring in amazing flavor. To substitute butter for oil in baking just melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as you would the oil. Compared to oil, butter will create a cake with a firmer, cakeier texture.

    How do you increase the flavor of lemon in a cake? ›

    Add up to a few teaspoons of zest to your baked goods to provide background flavor notes. It can be used to boost the overall lemon profile of your bake or accent additional flavors, similar to vanilla extract. Add the zest to your recipe when called for or when adding the fat (butter, oil, etc.)

    What happens if you put too much lemon juice in a cake? ›

    Cutting too much lemon for a recipe can result in a dish that is excessively sour or acidic. This can overpower the other flavors and make the dish unbalanced.

    Why is my lemon cake not lemony? ›

    Why would a lemon cake have a "plain" taste and not really taste lemony? Probably because you haven't put enough lemon into it. My favorite lemon cake recipe uses about 8 lemons, all told.

    What is another name for crumb cake? ›

    Streuselkuchen (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtʁɔʏzl̩ˌkuːxn̩]; "crumb cake"), also known in English-speaking countries as crumb cake, is a cake made of yeast dough covered with a sweet crumb topping referred to as streusel.

    What is another name for coffee cake? ›

    American Coffee cake—also referred to as gugelhupf or Austrian German: kaffekuchen—evolved from other sweet dishes from Vienna. In the 17th century, Northern/Central Europeans are thought to have come up with the idea of eating sweet cakes while drinking coffee.

    What is coffee cake crumble made of? ›

    To make the crumb topping, combine sugars, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in melted butter. Add flour and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Spread out mixture on parchment paper to dry until ready to use.

    What is the meaning of crumb cake? ›

    Definitions of crumb cake. cake or coffeecake topped with a mixture of sugar and butter and flour. type of: cake. baked goods made from or based on a mixture of flour, sugar, eggs, and fat.

    References

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